Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK) has certainly been aggressive at building up its Lumia line of smartphones that run on the Windows Phone operating system by Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) over the past six months in an obvious attempt to not only drive up sales but also to increase margins to drive the company back to profitability and relevancy in the smartphone market – one which Nokia dominated until the advent of the iPhone in 2007 by Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL).
Over the last several months, as these flagship Lumia handsets had their separate moments in the sun, there was speculation and rumor that Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK) would jump into the megaPhone market to compete with the Samsung Galaxy Note, but when Windows Phone 8 came out, it was only designed for a display of no more than 4.5 inches. The talk died down for a while after that, but then resurfaced when Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)revealed that an update to the operating system would allow for better resolution displays and larger displays by adding another set of titles. Talk of a megaPhone by Nokia heated up once again in earnest, even with details that this new model would be bigger than the Samsung Galaxy Note by boasting a 6-inch display.
First, let us look at the two megaPhone rumors. The first megaPhone that Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK) is currently working on would have a screen size of about 5.5 to 6 inches and would have PureView camera technology that would be similar to what is on the Lumia 925 handset – which allows for low-light photography and video stabilization to offset wobble or shaky hands. This device is rumored to come out in October.
The second megaPhone supposedly gearing for a February release is expected to have PureView technology integrated with Lytro-style camera technology involving 16 lenses. The technology apparently will allow for focus of the scene to be adjusted after the picture is taken, not just before the shutter button is pushed. This new camera will supposedly have a higher resolution than current Lumia models, which max out at 8 megapixels currently.
Now what about this budget iPhone killer?
The third rumored item by Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK) is supposedly a low-budget Lumia 920 that is supposed to be a direct competitor in the mid-range smartphone market with the budget iPhone by Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) that is being rumored to hit store shelves by the end of the year. This budget Lumia is also slated for an October release alongside the first megaPhone. This phone is expected to have an 8-megapixel camera with a Carl Zeiss lens, a similar thin profile to the Lumia 720 but have similar display resolution as the 920 along with similar processor speeds.
What are your thoughts about these new rumors? Do you think any of these devices will be the “hero” device that Nokia CEO Stephen Elop predicted earlier this year for this company? Will it be one or more of these devices that will ultimately keep Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK) relevant in the smartphone space? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below.
DISCLOSURE: None
